We've now gotten the regular image of the cover for issue #349 of Doctor Who Magazine, which as we reported yesterday was received by subscribers almost two weeks early due to a rapid turn-around at the magazine's printers. Among the items in the issue are interviews with new series director Joe Ahearne, writer Rob Shearman and producer Phil Collinson, a feature on the Doctor Who radio dramas, and much more; pick up the issue when it comes out on your local newsstand. Click on the cover thumbnail at right, meanwhile, for a larger version of the cover.

Also, in the issue is a note about issue #350, which celebrates 25 years of the magazine in print. "So as well as the concluding instalment of our DWM history feature Happy Times and Places? to chew over," says the preview, "we also present a FREE digitally restored reprint of the magazine that started it all back in 1979 - Doctor Who Weekly issue 1! PLUS! We've invited some old friends back to celebrate, so there's a chance to enjoy all new special editions of Fluid Links, The Life and Times of Jackie Jenkins, It's the end, but... and UNIT hotline, a new Doctor Who? strip from Quinn and Howett and the return of Leighton Noye's Doctor Oho! On top of that Sorvad will be choosing the best letters of all time in Who cares? and the BBC Wales production team will be answering your queries in a Matrix Data Bank special! NOT TO MENTION...We turn the clock back to the serial that was being screened when DWW first appeared as The Fact Of Fiction investigates the City Of Death! New series scribe Steven Moffat tells us how his episodes are coming along! More intrigung Production Notes from RTD! An extended does of comic strip action in a special 9-page instalment of The Flood! Plus all the latest news from the Doctor Who set and the best previews and reviews...Don't you dare miss it." (Thanks to Tom Spilsbury, Steve Tribe, Simon Hogarth)

The Sci Fi Online site notes, in an article entitled "Latest on the Daleks' dialect" that the Daleks will not abandon the popular phrase "Exterminate!" in the new show, despite the note in The Sun recently. It also mentions rumors on design: "The new-look inhabitants of Skaro wonÆt actually appear much different from their previous incarnations (save possibly a movie-style fender), although a final decision on a colour scheme has apparently yet to be reached. What is clear, however, is that the first Dalek we see will be damaged and covered in gunk, the sole survivor of a forgotten patrol thatÆs killing the unsuspecting crew of a spacecraft." Also mentioned in the report is that the TARDIS is larger and more chunky (as obvious from the photos posted on this very site) and that the rumored new logo was "created with widescreen TVs in mind - all the lettering is on one line in square upper-case text, backed by a coloured oval, some lens flare and the hint of printed circuits." You can read the whole report at that site.

According to the latest DWM, BBC Audio will release an unabridged reading of Doctor Who In An Exciting Adventure With The Daleks, the novelisation of the series' second story "The Daleks," as an MP3-CD in March 2005; William Russell (Ian) will be doing the reading. Also confirmed are our earlier reports about the release of The Pescatons in January and The Underwater Menace in February, but it notes that Anneke Wills (Polly) has done the narration and also does an interview on the CD. Meanwhile on the Big Finish front, Short Trips 12: Seven Deadly Sins has been announced, edited by David Bailey, scheduled for March 2005, with seven stories: 'Envy' by Tara Samms; 'Gluttony' by Rebecca Levene; 'Wrath' by Mark Wright; 'Pride' by John Binns; 'Sloth' by Gareth Wigmore; 'Lust' by Paul Magrs; 'Avarice' by David Bailey and with additional linking material by Jacqueline Rayner. Also, the forthcoming release of The Game, the January Big Finish audio starring Peter Dvaison, will still be 6 episodes but only on two discs; the magazine also has the cover illustration for The Juggernauts which will hopefully be on the Big Finish site in the near future.

As previously reported, Storm Mine by Daniel O'Mahony, the sixth chapter of the "Kaldor City" audio series, will be released later this year, featuring appearances by Gregory De Polnay (who played the role of D84 in the Doctor Who serial "The Robots of Death") and Philip Madoc (who played Solon in "The Brain of Morbius"). Magic Bullet Productions has announced that the release date is December 18, and have issued the cover and story blurb for the CD, below. "Kaldor City" is the continuing series of audios based in the universe of "The Robots of Death" by Chris Boucher, who serves as creative consulant; this will be the first story in which the character of Uvanov, previously played by the late Russell Hunter, will not appear.

Some new developments now known for the new Doctor Who series. The latest issue of DWM confirms our earlier story about Joe Ahearne being the director for the third block (which it says is comprised of episodes 6 and 8) and notes that the Daleks are in one of these episodes, as well as confirming that George Gerwitz is the first assistant director for block one. New details are that actor Rupert Vansittart plays the role of General Asquith, while Naoko Mori (who plays Saffron's best friend Sarah on "Absolutely Fabulous") plays Dr. Sato; both of these actors were in the very first scene shot for the new series. Also, the BBC Doctor Who website recently confirmed (in their "WhoSpy" photo series) that the make-up assistant on the series is Linda Davie and the sound recordist is Ian Richardson (with two other chaps, Tim the production runner and someone named Dafydd.)

The newest issue of Doctor Who Magazine confirms that The Mind Robber is the second DVD release of 2005, confirming rumors from the past two months. The Patrick Troughton serial, also starring Frazer Hines and Wendy Padbury, was one of the series' only five-part serials. No extras have been revealed at this time. Also noted in DWM is that "The Claws of Axos" is "under consideration for late 2005," though Outpost Gallifrey still believes it to be the third release of 2005, due in May.

A press release on the BBC Press Office website today confirms the news Outpost Gallifrey recently noted: that an agreement has been signed with Canada's CBC network to broadcast the new Doctor Who series. "BBC Worldwide today concluded its first major pre-sale for the new Doctor Who series with Canadian public broadcaster, CBC Television," says the press release. Producer Russell T Davies notes that "Doctor Who has a remarkable 'fandom' but equally itÆs the new audience that I care about. Someone who has never heard of a TARDIS or a Dalek, whether in Toronto or Swansea, will be able to start with this new series, climb on board with Christopher and Billie, and travel the whole of time and space." Slawko Klymkiw, executive programming director of CBC Television, is quoted as saying, "This was an exciting opportunity for CBC to bring the popular Doctor Who to fans - new and old alike - across the country. We are pleased to be working closely with BBC to bring Canadians this exceptional new series," and Hilary Read, Chief Operating Officer, BBC Worldwide Canada adds, "The CBC is the perfect partner for this fantastic new production. We're delighted to be bringing such a classic series to new audiences." There is no information about when the series will air on CBC, but it will likely be sometime relatively soon after the new series is broadcast in the UK. (Thanks to Steve Tribe)

An article in today's Manchester Evening News called "Meet the partners in time!" notes that, unlike in previous years, "the masterful, male Time Lord and his submissive, female assistant will be history-surfing companions boasting identical billing." "They really are written as a team. They have level pegging," producer Russell T Davies tells the News about the Doctor and Rose. "You couldn't have him as the dominant man and her as the humble assistant in this day and age." Davies notes that this Doctor has a sense of humour: "I think it's magnificent and it's very funny. It's not a knock-about farce, but it's laugh-out-loud funny. That's partly because Christopher Eccleston knew he had a reputation as a very serious actor and wanted to do it because he wished to reinvent himself and show how funny he could be. At the same time as being funny, he brings a tremendous weight. There's a good example in a scene where he is arguing with an alien. It's not tongue in cheek or ironic. He brings a real seriousness. And then, in the more everyday dialogue, he can have laugh." The article also discusses Rose's first entry into the TARDIS -- Davies' "absolute favourite" scene, which he calls "magnetic" -- and actress Billie Piper in general. "She's the hardest-working woman I have ever dealt with. People have this preconception about her being a former pop star, but she has an absolutely brilliant future as an actress. The scene where she walks into the Tardis is beautifully shot and beautifully acted. It's stunning." The article also mentions that the recent reports about the Daleks not saying "Exterminate!" is nonsense (also noted in the Sci-Fi Online article) and that viewers shouldn't expect heavy-handed morality tales: "It's fun, it's lively, it's for Saturday night. We don't want to bring in drama like global warming because no-one is going to watch. It's not about that at all - it's about fighting monsters but having a good drama along the way." You can read the full article by clicking on the link. (Thanks to Paul Engelberg, Tim Brook, Steve Tribe)

BBC Books are currently selling all three of the new proposed Doctor Who new series book titles previously announced to wholesalers and retailers. Clockwise Man by Justin Richards is listed for March, Death Players by Jacqueline Rayner for April and Monsters Inside by Stephen Cole for May. All three books were previously announced titles only, with the Ninth Doctor and Rose from the new series being the characters listed. They're listed as ú6.99 cover-priced hardbacks, not unlike the Lemony Snicket series. Meanwhile, the trade circulars also list a book called Monsters and Villains by Justin Richards, a ú7.99 paperback for sale in May as well. Of course, titles and dates are subject to change. (Thanks to Paul Greaves)